Large Red Raised Bump/Lump on Forearm (scared of infection, sepsis etc) - PLEASE help

[armiva]

Last night I noticed a raised red patch on my forearm.

When I woke up in the morning it has increased in size and is about 8cm diameter rough circle on forearm, and raised/inflamed/swollen.

Went to doctor in the afternoon. He indicated insect bite, yet I don't see any visible head at all. Am not really convinced.

I have normal temp and no fever (yet), and it does not appear to have any obvious opening where anything can ooze from. He says because the bump is hard rather than soft/squishy when you press on it, it's probably not an abscess. There are no pimples or rash per se. Just that the skin is red, warm to touch which he says happens with inflammation, and itchy. He prescribed a cream that treats bug bites etc by suppressing skin inflammation but I am scared to use it in case it masks the symptoms of something more serious.

I am freaking out about MRSA, cellulitis and the mother of all fears sepsis. Has anyone ever had anything like this? Please talk me through it.

[BlueIris]

Bites can absolutely manifest like this - it's how mosquito bites used to show up on me.

Trust your GP, and use the cream - it'll make you more comfortable and hopefully better able to think clearly.

[armiva]

BlueIris Thank you for confirming that bites can manifest like this. But what about if the bite leads to infection or sepsis. And if I won't know if the cream reduces the inflammation/redness, and I won't see the red line in the direction of the body that indicates sepsis like this kid had (https://www.foxnews.com/health/mom-photo-sons-infection-warn-sepsis). Or if it masks the symptoms of cellulitis or MRSA and I wait too long to treat it? I am paralyzed with fear of MRSA or cellulitis as well because I don't tolerate antibiotics well.

[BlueIris]

The chances of this are vanishingly rare. Besides, antihistamine cream won't work if there's an infection.

I'm in the UK so our bugs probably aren't quite so nasty, but I've had literally thousands of bites in my lifetime from fleas, mosquitoes and once from a false widow spider. None of them ever got infected.

[armiva]

I've had literally thousands of bites in my lifetime from fleas, mosquitoes and once from a false widow spider. None of them ever got infected.
<<<Thank you for that information. Helps me be a bit more positive.

[armiva]

BlueIris, one more question if you don't mind. From all those bites that you got, what was the largest size area of redness approximately? Does 10cm sound too big?

[BlueIris]

Not for a mosquito bite, no - sounds about right for a large one of those, especially if you're slightly allergic.